


Not So Bad

by OccupationLove



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Roomates, getting married to save money, not thinking about the consequences, there's a lot of gay panic in this story, they're idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-04 21:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15849351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OccupationLove/pseuds/OccupationLove
Summary: Ludwig didn't know why he was even considering his roommate's crazy plan. Oh yeah, because he was broke.





	Not So Bad

The door slammed open with such force that he almost checked to see if there was a hole in the wall after he realized that he wasn’t having a heart attack. Alfred wasted no time crossing the room and leaning towards him in an almost uncomfortable way, “Dude, guess what I just found out.”  
  
    Ludwig leaned back in his desk chair and crossed his arms, “They’re serving cheeseburgers in the cafeteria for dinner. Feliciano thinks you’re funny and you’re happy about it. There’s a sale in the quad going on for amusement park tickets. I don’t know, Alfred. What did you find out?”  
  
“I--wait, are all those things true? Because like, man, a rollercoaster sounds great right now and that would really explain why Feli--”  
  
“Alfred.”  
  
“Oh. Oh! It’s cheaper to go to college if you’re married. Like I read this article about how a lot of schools pay for student’s tuition if they’re legally married and I looked it up and our school does it too. So, I have this plan now that--”  
  
“You’re going to get married?”  
  
Alfred started nodding enthusiastically, “Oh yeah, man, I’m gonna get hitched.”  
  
Ludwig sighed and leaned back over his homework, officially done with the conversation, “I suggest asking Feli.”  
  
Alfred shoved his face in between Ludwig and the desk, “Really? Why’s that? Does he need some extra cash? Because I was honestly gonna try asking the girl from the cafe I’m always telling you about.”  
  
He rubbed his temples, “No, Feli doesn’t need any extra money. I’m pretty sure we’ve gone over before how much he makes by selling his paintings online.  But you’d have to be blind not to notice that he flirts with you constantly. Not that that means much since he’s like that with most people but he might be interested. Also, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to ask a girl you’ve had a total of three conversations with to marry you.”  
  
Alfred leaned back and placed his hand on his chin as if he were thinking, “Oh, yeah. I suppose you have a point that does sound like a bad idea. But I can’t just ask Feli either. I just--I want it to benefit both people and if Feli can afford school no problem that’s not fair to whoever else would’ve agreed and needed the money, you know?”  
He groaned, exasperated with the nonsensical words spewing out of his roommate’s mouth, “I understand. Now, if you would kindly go scout out your options elsewhere so that I can do my homework--”  
  
The pep in Al’s tone was unnatural but expected, “Okay! I’ll see you later! Don’t stress too much about anything!”  
  
He rolled his eyes as the door shut behind him. He was three problems down the page when he decided that yes he really should turn around and make sure there wasn’t a hole in the wall.

Four hours later, he was laying in his bed, reading, and trying to ignore the flashing lights coming from Alfred’s phone--he was obviously watching some sort of video but that didn’t make the lights any less distracting. He sighed and rolled onto his side away from the other man in the hopes that it would somehow help.  
  
“Ahhhh man! Noooooo.”  
  
Ludwig looked over his shoulder to see his roommate sitting in his own bed looking distraught, “What’s wrong?”  
  
Alfred threw his phone to the end of the bed, “No one wants to marry me.”  
  
He couldn’t help the soft laughter that evoked but he still tried to cover it up, “People are pretty picky about who they marry, you know. What are you planning to do after college ends, hmm? If this is a financial deal then I’m assuming you’re planning on a divorce. And whoever marries you is going to have to explain to their next significant other that they’ve been married before. Most people want to avoid that subject to the best of their ability.”  
  
Al stuck out his bottom lip in a mock pout, “So I’m either going to have to ask a stranger to marry me and hope they’re okay with divorce later or I’m going to have to find a friend that wants to stay married to me forever? That’s not cool.”  
  
Ludwig laughed, “You’re not cool either but I’ve never complained.”  
  
“Rude!”  
  
“Hush, it’s quiet hours.”  
  
“...rude.”  
  
    His laughter was actually, probably, louder than the shout that Alfred had done but he couldn’t help it. “You’re such a dumbass.”  
  
The grin on Alfred’s face said he was just as amused by the situation as Lud was, “Hey, you know you like me.”  
  
Ludwig rolled his eyes and returned to his book without another word. He heard his roommate lay back down across the room and get under the blankets. He was almost sure that the other was asleep when he heard him hit the floor and start pacing toward his bed. Lud rolled just fast enough to be face to face with Alfred when the other man’s hands slammed down on either side of his face, “Hey! Let’s get married!”  
  
Ludwig snorted and pushed at Al’s chest, “No, go back to bed.”  
  
Alfred grinned like he was up to no good but backed up regardless, “Why not? We get along. We don’t hate each other. I think it’d work out great.”  
  
Ludwig raised an eyebrow, “And the lingering divorce on the horizon?”  
  
Al sighed, “Do you really care about that?”  
  
No, but he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to marry his roommate either. He rolled back toward his book, “I’ll think about it.”  
  
He could hear the happiness in Alfred’s voice when he spoke, “Really? Okay, cool! Goodnight, Ludwig.”  
  
He gave a noncommittal grunt as a response.

* * *

 

He was staring at his financial aid packet and wondering how in the hell the price of school had gone up that much. He was already having a hard enough time paying for the school year as it was. He really didn’t need for the school to decide to charge nearly a thousand more in tuition.  
  
“You look grumpy.”  
  
He sighed, “School is expensive and I’m poor; of course, I’m ‘grumpy.’”  
  
Alfred opened his mouth like he was going to say something and then closed it again. Ludwig knew what he was going to say--as if it wasn’t obvious. He groaned, desperately in need of the extra money, “So….if we got married...how does that even work? I’ve never been married before what’s the process for that?”  
  
His roommate grinned, “I don’t know but I bet Google does.”

* * *

 

The courthouse was a lot bigger than he thought it was going to be in this tiny town and he was already nervous enough. He didn’t need the town’s need for aesthetic to make it worse but no, the building just had to loom over him like it was judging him. Gosh, what had he gotten himself into? Holy shit, what was his brother going to say? He hadn’t even called him, dammit.  
  
“Hold on, I have to--”  
  
Alfred pulled at his arm, “I can’t hold on! We have an appointment; we have papers to sign!”  
  
Ludwig felt the heat rising to his face, “This is awkward. This is so awkward. Why are we doing this?”  
  
“To save us both money, c’mon.”  
  
He took a deep breath and stopped resisting, “Alright.”

* * *

 

Honestly, the man giving judgemental looks and skeptical glances while he officiated what Ludwig realized was his first wedding was more nerve-wracking than the idea of going through with it in the first place. Alfred was starting to get restless as he shifted from foot to foot and Lud understood why. The clerk had told him just days before that they only needed to sign the papers; neither one of them had been aware that they had to go through the ceremony.  
Why was it so anxiety-inducing to get temporarily married to avoid paying for something? It wasn’t even a real marriage. Why was he freaking out? Although, at least Alfred seemed to be mildly panicked as well. At least he wasn’t alone in this..

* * *

 

Once they made it back to the dorm, the tension seemed to fade away. Or it did for the couple hours of silence that there was. Then Alfred had bolted into a standing position and started pacing which really wasn’t helping how Ludwig was feeling right then, “Oh my fuck, dude, we got married. We’re married and that dude was definitely judging us because he thinks we’re gay. And now we can’t date anyone else without committing adultery and, holy shit, what did we do?”  
  
Ludwig threw a pillow at him, “Don’t ask me! Stop panicking you’re making me anxious.”  
  
Alfred groaned and sat down on the floor, “What do I tell my family? Am I supposed to just pretend I didn’t click independent on the FAFSA when they’re standing over me? They’ll see me click married. God, they don’t even know I’m not straight. Or at least I haven’t told them yet. Do I just waltz in on the holiday and say ‘oh, by the way, I married my roommate.’ What did we doooo?”  
  
Ludwig flopped onto his back on the bed, “I don’t know. I needed money.”  
  
Alfred threw the pillow back at him, “Help me figure out what I’m supposed to tell my family!”  
  
He glanced over at him, “The truth?”  
  
“It sounds so stupid, though! I don’t exactly have the reputation of a genius, dude. I’d rather not give Arthur any more ammunition to bother me with.”  
  
Lud sighed, “Then I don’t know.”  
  
Alfred took his glasses off and set them down on the floor in front of him, “What are you telling your family?”  
  
“I don’t know. I feel like Gilbert would honestly just be mad that he missed the wedding and I’m not sure I want to hear the lecture on that.”  
  
Alfred crossed his arms, “What about when you go home on vacation?”  
  
He sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to fight a coming headache, “I don’t go home for breaks. It’s too far and too expensive and I can barely afford school how am I supposed to afford a plane ticket.”  
  
“You don’t...Not even for Christmas?”  
  
He shook his head, “I go home in the summer. That’s it.”  
  
There was a long pause before Alfred spoke again, “Would you like to go home for Christmas?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Well, I don’t know. The free tuition is going to help me tremendously but I’m not in a bad position scholarship wise, you know? And your brother seems pretty chill if all he’s gonna be upset about is missing the wedding and I’m pretty sure I could afford two plane tickets if I stop spending my money from work online. So, like, if you wanted to go home for Christmas--and take me with you-- I can avoid telling my family for a little bit longer and you’d get a break from campus?”  
  
“I...you can’t...I can’t just let you pay for my plane ticket.”  
  
Alfred grinned, “No, it’s fine I swear! If I went by myself at any point I’d probably spend about the same on a hotel and food so if you’ll agree to feed and house me, it’s really not a problem. Besides, Germany had Christmas markets, right? That sounds really cool!”  
  
He wasn’t sure it was a fair deal but he nodded anyway, “If that’s all you want then fine. We’ll go abroad for Christmas.”  
  
Alfred put his glasses back on and got up from the floor, “Maybe this won’t be so bad, after all.”  
  
He wondered if that might be true.


End file.
